Hello All,
Ive been offered two job options for teaching ESL in Peru... one is in Talara, which is on the North coast, at L&B Language School. Another is in Chachapoyas, at the International Language Center. It sounds like a very remote but beautiful place. I was wondering if anyone knows much about either of these places/schools and could give any helpful tips or suggestions.
Thanks!

I knwo of both of them. They're both remote. The one in Talara is run by a foreigner with his Peruvian wife. The one in Chacapoyas is run by a Peruvian with his foreign wife, I can't remember where she's from.

I don't think either pays pretty well or gets you a visa. They're both good schools though, so it just depends if you want to be on the coast or in the jungle
Sharon

Incidentally, I taught at both L&B *and* ILC, in addition to spending a few months teaching in Lima.

Check your PM's.

sistaray,

Your post was from 4 years ago... If you happen to get this - how did you like L&B? Did you find the pay enough to get by with food and what not? How was the house, and the other foreign teachers... what is the typical age of the employees (I could handle a mix, but a house full of 22 year olds would be trying) Was the house a complete dump ect? Did you have internet access, or were you completely cut off from everything? School resources? (i.e are you building completely everything from the ground up with zero materials)

Actually, anything you can think of would be really helpful. I'm considering going, yet have 0 savings, and would be living off the approx $470/month salary. Is it do-able? I'm completely able to live frugally, yet would like to be able to keep in contact with my family somewhat by email/Skype if at all possible. Also, this would be my first teaching job. Anyway, sorry to overload you with questions, but you are the first person I have found who has worked there!

Your post was from 4 years ago... If you happen to get this - how did you like L&B? Did you find the pay enough to get by with food and what not? How was the house, and the other foreign teachers... what is the typical age of the employees (I could handle a mix, but a house full of 22 year olds would be trying) Was the house a complete dump ect? Did you have internet access, or were you completely cut off from everything? School resources? (i.e are you building completely everything from the ground up with zero materials)

Actually, anything you can think of would be really helpful. I'm considering going, yet have 0 savings, and would be living off the approx $470/month salary. Is it do-able? I'm completely able to live frugally, yet would like to be able to keep in contact with my family somewhat by email/Skype if at all possible.

I met sistaray in Lima a couple years ago. Not sure if he's still on the boards, but I do know that he was in his 20s when he taught there.

$470 a month, um, IS more than Peruvians make, but I made $700 teaching in Piura (a nearby city) way back in 2004-2006. If they pay for housing, that a whole different story though. Still ask about housing and find out if you'll be living with their family or not.

Going to ANY job with no savings is dangerous. What will you do if there's an emergency? What about plane tickets? You will probably need a return or at least an on-.going one in order to even be let on the plane.

Do you care about visas? Becuase about 99.9% of language schools in Peru do NOT get them.

Internet access is pretty much everywhere, though it can be expensive. In 2010 the place we tried to sign up through in Lima wanted over $100 a month.

There's somewhat of a monopoly. I tried to get a phone / internet in Piura and was on a waiting list for nearlya year before I gave up. Good news is that there are internet cabinas practically all over the place.

I have been in contact with the owner. He seems really decent and is Canadian... he actually went to the same university as my sister. He seemed really forthcoming with answers to my questions, I just figured it is always best to try and glean some info from people who have actually taught at prospective schools.

They do provide housing with all utilities paid. That was actually the reason I was interested in the average age, as the housing is shared, and I'm a bit older than the typical first time teacher. If it's a house full of youngins on their first adventure away from home, I wouldn't want to rain on their parade (or be kept up all night, and be cleaning up after everybody).

So you do need a return ticket. Hmmm I suspected as much. Tickets aren't a problem. Purchasing them would be what would be cleaning out my savings. I know the pay is next to nothing. From what I've heard, they get Spanish lessons for their teachers. I figured that living next to world-class surf spots, becoming fluent in Spanish, and getting experience teaching a range of ages and abilities in a more easy-going environment before heading to Asia was worth the lower pay.

I was just hoping that the salary would be enough to see Peru in my off-time. I wouldn't want to be in Peru... or anywhere for that matter... and be too damn broke to see the country. And believe me, I can live frugally and save. I've spent more than half my life working in bush camps completely cut off from the world for weeks at a time. I don't need much to be happy. Just homecooked meals, a clean place to live, glass of wine here and there.

As far as visas go... being as I'm green with the whole work permit/visa thing, I would like to keep things on the up-an-up as much as possible. However, I really only care as much as the local authorities care. If working there on a tourist visa isn't that huge of a concern (i.e wont get me thrown in some peruvian bucket), then I'm not too worried about it.

If you're willing to travel by bus and stay in places that don't have in-suite showers and may not have hot water, then yes. Otherwise, probably not. Tickets from north to south can cost about $100 each way. Hard on less than 500 a month.

Even if there are young teachers, they're likely to move on after a couple months.

Don't need a return ticket, but you WILL need to show proof of an on-going ticket at the airline counter. OR proof that you live in Peru, ie, legal residency.

Fluent in Spanish? Teaching English is not the way to become fluent in Spanish. If you really want to learn Spanish, save and just take lessons. My job, for example, I get at least 8 times as much as that a month, sometimes up to 18 times as much. Work in ASia for a year, then you'll have plenty saved up so that you can study Spanish.

YOu have no savings, that's very dangerous. What if you get sick? What's going to happen?

So you do need a return ticket. Hmmm I suspected as much. Tickets aren't a problem. Purchasing them would be what would be cleaning out my savings. I know the pay is next to nothing. From what I've heard, they get Spanish lessons for their teachers. I figured that living next to world-class surf spots, becoming fluent in Spanish, and getting experience teaching a range of ages and abilities in a more easy-going environment before heading to Asia was worth the lower pay.

In all my travels, I've never really stayed anywhere that had in-suite showers or hot water, so that is definitely not a problem. Busses are that pricey, eh? That is definitely something to consider..

As far as learning Spanish goes... isn't immersion always the best way to go? It's how I learned French. Sink or swim. I think that interacting with people on a daily basis that speak no English is the best way to learn a language, don't you? Especially in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I've never been the type to live in a bubble and only surround myself with Westerners while in foreign countries, so I think my chances of picking it up would be fairly good. Formal lessons, reinforced by daily practice in the community sounded perfect to me.

I know you are completely right about the savings. Can't argue there.

I've read alot of your old posts. Quite a pile of experience behind you. Are you still in Asia somewhere? Do you prefer where you are now to Peru? Actually, that's a pretty big question. How about... if you had to do it all over again, where would you start out?
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Immersion? No. I work with people who have been in Asia for over a decade and they don't speak much at all. And you WON?T be immersed. YOu'll be in an English speaking environment. It'ŋs very different being an immigrant to say, the US, than an American going overseas to teach English. Peopel are mistaken in believing that they'll be "fluent" in X language in a year or two. After more than half my life of using Spanish on a daily basis I still don't consider myself fluent, far from it.

HOw did you learn French? Were you teaching English abroad or did you go to solely learn French? I'm betting it was the latter.

Still, happily, in Asia. NO plans to return to Peru whatsoever. If I had to do it over again, I'd have stayed two years in Peru. NOt six. Waste of time for me.

Busses are that pricey, eh? That is definitely something to consider..

As far as learning Spanish goes... isn't immersion always the best way to go? It's how I learned French. Sink or swim. I think that interacting with people on a daily basis that speak no English is the best way to learn a language, don't you? Especially in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I've never been the type to live in a bubble and only surround myself with Westerners while in foreign countries, so I think my chances of picking it up would be fairly good. Formal lessons, reinforced by daily practice in the community sounded perfect to me.

You can take the cheap bus from Tumbes to Lima for 60-70 soles. I canīt imagine itīd be 100 dollars all the way south unless you want the luxury buses. As far as the immersion thing, yeah, thatīs the best way to go, donīt listen to nature girl. Formal schooling helps, but immersion is the key. Itīs cheap to learn Spanish.

I probably make about 500 dollars a month in Lima, and itīs enough. I donīt really have much to travel on, but I get by fine. In Talara that would be a good salary (especially if you have housing), itīs cheap there.

And donīt listen to that pesimistic crap that nature girl says. Sheīs very helpful and has helped a lot of people. But I would be poor in Peru any day over being rich in Asia.